Refractory brick roof patch assembly



Feb. 23, 1965 F. c. PALACIO REFRACTORY BRICK ROOF PATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 20, 1963 INVENTOR FRANCIS C. PALACIO AITORNE'ES United A States Patent REFRACTORY BRICK ROOF PATCH ASSEMBLY Francis C. Palacio, Conshohocken, Pa., assignor to E J. Lavina and Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware I Filed Aug.2.0, 1963, Ser. No. 303,266 11 Claims. (Cl. 11099) The present invention relates to a new and novel refractory brick roof patch assembly, and more particularly to the type of assembly which is employed for repairing roofs of hot furnaces while in operation.

The present invention isdirected particularly to a refractory brick roof patch assembly employed with furnaces 1 having roofs of the suspended type which are normally supported by conventional hanger means. These assemblies are employed for repairing such furnace roofs while the furnaces are in operation, and this type of assembly opposes certain inherent problems which it is a specific purpose of the present invention to overcome.

It is desired to provide a pair of refractory bodies or bricks which are separated by a metallic separator plate, the bricks being surrounded by a casing means formed of sheet steel or the'like, this casing means as well as the dividing plate being suitably held in position while the assembly is being placed in its operative relationship in a furnace roof, the entire assembly being supported by a single common heat resistant hanger means of relatively conventional construction.

Since the assembly of the present invention is designed to replace refractory bricks of furnaces now in operation,

. it is desired to provide an assembly which forms a substantially perfect rectangular cross-sectional configuration and which also provides substantially perfectly flat surfaces on all four sides thereof. These surfaces should be free of any sort of protrusions or irregularities in the surface which might project outwardly and interfere with the proper placement and positioning of the assembly. In many conventional roof patch assembly constructions, such undesirable outwardly directed portions are generally developed by welding procedures employed therewith or in addition excessive surface voids may be created due to openings created by joints or folds in the sheet steel casings.

It is, of course, important that under normal handling or installation of the assembly in a furnace, neither the dividing plate nor the casing means should slip off, nor should the assembly be allowed in any way to become disassembled or come apart. It is essential that such assemblies hold their shape and rigidity during the time required for installation of the assembly and succeeding adjoining assemblies during the hot patching repair job of a furnace roof.

It has been found in actual practice that where casings are employed of a nature wherein the outer longitudinal edges thereof may be exposed to the heat of the furnace, these edges become distorted and thereby in many instances prevent proper placement of an adjacent assembly in tight relationship against an assembly which is already in position. In addition, stresses created in the casing portions due to such distortion-s place undue stresses on the welds, and accordingly, these welds break loose when the stresses exceed the sheer limit of the weld area, and accordingly, the situation becomes even more severe since the distorted portions are then allowed to be deflected a substantial distance from the associated refractory bricks.

In the present invention, a pair of refractory bricks are utilized which are of substantially identical size and configuration, these two refractory bricks being normally disposed in closely adjacent relationship with a suitable lice dividing plate disposed therebetwe'en, the plate and the bricks being provided with suitable portions for receiving a hanger means for suspending the assembly in operative position.

The entire assembly is surrounded by a casing means comprisinga pair of similar casing portions each of which comprises a substantially U-shaped or channel-like member having a relatively short leg and a relatively long leg, these legsbeing disposed substantially parallel with one another. Each of the long 'legs of the casing por tions is provided with a longitudinally extending. offset portion which defines a fold or shoulder between the offset portion and the main body of the long leg portion. The opposite longitudinal edges of the casing portions are defined at the outer ends of the two leg portions, and in the assembled operative position of the components, the offset portion of each of the long legs is disposed Within the longitudinally cutout portion provided in an outwardly directed face of each of the refractory bricks.

The short leg of each of the casing portions is disposed within the offset portion of the 'long leg of the opposite casing portion such that the outer surface of each of the short legs of the two casing portions is substantially flush with the outer surface of the long leg portion of the opposite casing portion. This ensures substantially flat outer surfaces at opposite sides of the assembly. The short leg portions of each of the casing portions are fixedly secured to the offset portions of the opposite casing portion by means of spot welding techniques and the like.

With the above-described arrangement of the casing portions, the longitudinal edge of each of the casing portions at the long leg thereof is completely protected by the opposite casing portion, while the longitudinally extending edge of the-short leg of each of the casing portions is at least partially protected by the shoulder defined between the oifset portion and the main body of the long leg portion of the opposite casing portion. The opposite longitudinal edges of the casing portions are thereby protected from directexposure to the furnace heat, and in the distortion of the short leg portion, if such should develop, can only extend the length of the short leg of the'casing portions and is thereby limited to small proportions. Likewise, the longitudinal or resultantcomponents of such distortion are therefore small, and limited. With any possible distortions limited in this manner, undue stresses are eliminated and the weld points are relieved accordingly.

The casing means is retained in operative position relative to the refractory bodies or bricks by projection means which extend inwardly from each of the casing portions, these projection means being received within suitable indentation means formed in the associated refractory bodies. 7

In addition, the substantially flat outer surfaces are possible due to the utilization of spot welding techniques which prevents any outwardlybulging or projecting portions at the places where the two casing portions are welded to one another.

By so protecting the oppositelongitudinal edges of the casing portions as discussed above, the assembly is en abled to hold its shape and rigidity during the time required to install it and any succeeding adjoining assemblies during ahot patching repair job on a furnaceroof. Furthermore, the means as discussed above ensures that the casing means will remain in place under normal handling or installation procedures, and additionally the dividing plate disposed between the refractory bricks is held in its operative position by providing laterally extending tabs at the upper end thereof which engage an upwardly directed face of one of the bricks thereby positively preventing the dividing plate from'sliding down between the bricks during handling or installation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel refractorybrick patch assembly which includes a v a pairof refractory bricks separated by a sheet steel plate and surrounded by a sheet steel casing and suspended in operative position by a single common heat resistant hanger. Y

Another object of the invention is the provision of a refractory brick roof patch, assembly which is substantially rectangular in cross-sectional configuration and, which includes four substantially fiat-outwardly directed side surfaces. v I

A further object of the invention is'to provide a refractory brick roof patch assembly'including means for assuring that thecasing anddividing plate means will remain in proper operative relationshipduring normal handling and installation procedures.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a refractory brick roof patch assembly whichwill hold its shape and rigidity during the time required to install it and any succeeding adjoining assemblies during a hot patching repair job of a'furnace roof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a' refractory brick roof patch assembly which is quite simple and inexpensive in construction, and yet at the same time is quite sturdy and reliable in operation.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent when considered of thepresent invention includes apair of bodies of re fractory material or refractory bricks indicated general,- ly by reference numerals 1t) and 11. Refractory brick includes a front face 12, a rearface 13 and a pair of opposite side faces 14 and 15. The brick may be substantially rectangular in cross-sectional configuration with the front and rear faces substantially parallel with one another as are the opposite side faces 14 and 15.

In a like manner, the refractory brick 11 is provided with a front face and a rearface 21 joined by a pair of opposite side faces 22 and 23.

The bricks 10 and 11 are provided with upwardly. di-' rected cold or top faces 17 and 25, it being understood that the bricks are also provided with opposite hot or bottom faces which are disposed substantially parallel with the top faces 17"and 25 and further which are adapted to be directed toward the interior of the furnace in a well-known manner.

Bricks 10 and 11 are provided with cutout portions 3% .and 32 respectively which extendinwardly from the upper part thereof for accommodating the hanger; .The

front faces thereof, and: cutout portions 34 and 35 respectively are formed in these bricksand extend upwardly in a tapered relationship to the top faces 17 and 25 respectively. These cutout portions are adapted to receive and accommodate a conventional hanger 37'having a foot portion 38 at the lower end thereof, this foot portion being adapted to extend within the portions 30 and 32 of the bricks. The suspension assembly including the hanger means and the cutout portions formed in the bricks is of well-known conventional construction.

A divider plate 40 which'may be formed of sheet steel and the like is formed of such a size as to be coincident with the front faces of the two bricks, the divider plate secured to the offset portion 85 by a plurality of similar divider plate is also provided with'a-pair of laterally extending tab or flange'portions i4 and 45 at the upperm'ost end thereof, these tab portions being adapted torest upon a top face such as 17 of brick 10 for retaining the divider plate in operative assembled relationship and preventing itlfrom slipping down between thetwo bricks-as will be 7 Well understood.

Eachiofthebricks isprovided with axlo'ngitudinally extending cutout portion in the'rear face thereof, these cutout portions being indicated by reference numerals 5t) and 52 for the bricks. 10 and 11 respectively, itb e" .ing noted that each of the cutout portions'extends longitudinally throughout the length of the bricks so as to define a groove in the bricks on the rearifaces thereof at one of the corners 'where thelrear face joins one of the side faces. a

Each of the rear faces ofth'e bricks is'provided with an indentation meanswhichin the present invention may comprise arcuate recesses 54'and 56 formed in faces Casing portion 66 includes. a base portion 65 from V which extend a pair of legs or flanges 66 and 67. It Will be noticed that leg-portion 66 is relatively short as compared to leg portion'67 since leg portion 67 extends outwardly a substantialliy greater distance than leg portion 66 from the base portion 65. Each of these leg portions or flanges extend substantially parallel with one another and normal to: the base portion 65. The opdicated by reference numerals 68 and 69.

The relatively long leg portion 67 includes an'otf se't portion 72 Which as seen most; clearly in FIG. 2 is'otfset withrespect to the remainder: of the leg portion and.

is disposed substantially parallelrtherewith. -A shoulder portion 74 is defined betweenthe offset portion '72 and the main body. portion of leg portion 67.

Casing portion '62 in a similar manner includes a base portion 77, a short leg portion or flangeg is and a long leg portion or flange 79. The opposite longitudinally extending edges. of casing portion 62 are indicated by reference numerals. 82. and 83, and the long leg portion 79 includes an ofiset' portion 85, a longitudinally extending shoulder 86 being defined between the offset portion and the main portion of theleg portion "79. It is evident that the two portions 60 and 62 are substantially identical and are adapted to be fitted together as indicated in RIG. 2 of the drawings.

As seen in FIG. 2, theofisetjportions 72 and 85 of the casing portions 60 and 62 fit respectively within the cutout portions 50 and 52 in the rear. faces ofthe bricks 1t) and 11. It will also be noted that the short leg portions 66 and. 78 .fitrespectively over the offset portions 85 and 72 suchithat the outer surfacesof the short leg portions 66 and 68 are substantially coplanar with the outerisurfaces of the longer. leg portions 79 and 6'7 of the other casing portions: The short leg portion 78 is fixedlysecured to the offset portion 72 by a plurality of spot welds 90 which may be spaced longitudinally along'the short leg portion and the short leg portion 66 is spot welds 92. It is apparent with this arrangement that the spot welds will not produce any protuberances or bulges extending 'outwardlyfrom the casing, portion andhsubstantially flat sidesu'rfaces are afforded to the the proper operative position in surrounding relation-- ship to the bricks and will prevent the casing means from slipping out of such proper position. 1

'It is apparent from the foregoingthat the refractory brick roof patch assembly of the present invention cornprises a pair of refractory bodies or bricks which are substantially of the same size andconfiguration, these two bodies or bricks being separated by a divider plate formed of sheet steel and the like. The bodies or bricks are surrounded by a circumferentially extending casing means formed of sheet steel and the like, and the entire assembly-is adapted to be suspended from a common heat resistant hanger. The completed assembly provides a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration with the four outer surfaces thereof being substantially flat'and without excessive surface voids. There are no outwardly extending protrusions or projections, and in particular, it will be noticed that the opposite longitudinally extending edges of each of the casing heat of an associated furnace. It Will be noted that the longitudinally extending edges of each of the casing portions at the outer ends of the longer legs of the channelshaped casing portions are completely protected by the base portion of the opposite casing portion. Also, it will be noted that the longitudinally extending edges along the shorter legs of each of the casing portions are partially protected by the shoulder portions defined between the ofi'set portion and the main portion of the longer leg of the opposite casing portion. This arrangement ensures that the assembly will hold its shape and rigidity during the time required to install it and any succeeding adjoining assemblies during the hot patching repair job of a furnace roof. In addition, the dividing plate between the two bricks is retained in its operative position by the laterally offset tab portions formed at the upper end thereof, these tab portions being adapted to engage the upwardly directed face of an adjacent brick so as to positively prevent the plate from sliding down between the bricks during normal handling or installation procedures. The casing means is retained in its operative position by means of the inwardly directed projection means which are adapted to be disposed within the outwardly facing recess means formed in the adjacent bricks. This positively ensures that the casing means cannot be improperly displaced or slip off of the bricks during handling or installation procedures. It is also apparent that the assembly of the present invention is quite simple and inexpensive in construction, and yet is quite sturdy and reliable in use.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the in vention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. A refractory brick roof patch assembly comprising a pair of bodies of refractory material of similar configuration, each of said bodies including a longitudinally extending cutout portion formed in one of the outwardly directed faces thereof, said bodies being disposed in closely spaced relationship to one another, casing means disposed in surrounding relationship with said bodies, means for retaining said casing means in operative position with respect to said bodies, said casing means comprising a pair ing relationship with one another, rear faces disposed of'identical metallic portions, each of said portions including opposite longitudinally extending edges, each of said portions including a longitudinally extending offset portion adjacent one of said edges, said offset portion of each of said casing portions fitting within the cutout portionof one of said bodies, said offset portion also receiving the other longitudinal edge portion of the other of saidcasing portions so as to overlie said offset portion whereby the assemblydefines a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration with flat outer surfaces; said one edge portion of each of said metallic portions being completely protected by the other metallic portion from direct exposure to the heat of a furnace, the other longitudinal edge portion of each of said metallic portions being at leastpartially protected by the other metallic portion from direct exposure to the heat of a furnace.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein longitudinally extending portions of said casing portions adjacent the opposite longitudinal edges thereof are secured to one another by spot Welding.

3. A refractory brick roof patch assembly comprising a pair of bodies of refractory material of substantially identical size and configuration, each of said bodies including front faces adapted to be disposed in opposed facopposite said front faces, and a pair of opposite side faces, each of said rear faces having a longitudinally extending cutout portion formed therein, casing means disposed in surrounding relationship with said pair of bodies, said casing means including a pair of substantially identical portions each of which is of a metallic channel-like construction, each of said channel-like portions including a short fiange at one side thereof and a long flange at the opposite side thereof, each of said long flanges having an offset portion formed longitudinally therealong adjacent the outer longitudinal edge thereof and defining a longitudinally extending shoulder, said offset portion fitting within a cut out portion of one of said bodies, said offset portion receiving outwardly thereof the short flange of the opposite casing portion with the outer longitudinal edge of said short flange disposed adjacent said shoulder so as to be at least partially protected from direct exposure to the heat of a furnace, said casing portions being fixedly secured to one another adjacent the opposite longitudinal edge portions thereof to define an assembly of substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration with flat outer surfaces. I

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said casing portions includes a preformed inwardly directed projection means, said bodies each including a preformed indentation means for receiving said projection means whereby said casing means is retained in operative position in surrounding relationship to said bodies.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said casing portions are fixedly secured to one another by spot weld- 6. A refractory brick roof patch assembly comprising a pair of refractory bricks, each of said bricks being of elongated configuration and including substantially fiat front and rear faces on opposite sides of each brick and a pair of opposite side faces joining said front and rear faces, each of said front faces including cutout portions for receiving a hanger, an intermediate spacer plate disposed between the front faces of each of said bricks, each of said bricks having a longitudinally extending cutout portion formed along the rear face thereof at one edge thereof, casing means disposed in surrounding relationship with said pair of bricks, said casing means including a pair of separate metallic portions each of which is substantially U-shaped in cross-sectional configuration and includes a base portion and a pair of leg portions, one of said le portions being -a relatively short leg and theotheryof said leg'portions being a relatively long leg, said legstermie nating in opposite longitudinally extending edges. offset-id casing portions, each of said relatively long. legs of each casing portion having a longitudinally extending offset portion-formed therein adjacent the associated longitu-fi t dinally extending edgeto definea longitudinally extending 7 said last'mentioned edge from direct exposure to the heatof a furnace, and'such that the outer surfaces of the relatively long leg of each casing portion are substantially tation for receiying acooperating projection,- a metallicl spacer plate disposed betweenand in engagement 'withth'e front faces of said bricksfsaid plate extendingthroughout the length of said front faces and 'includin'gla cutout portion in the central upper part thereof for receiving hanger means, said spacer plate also including at the uppermost end thereof a pair of spaced offset tabs" for engaging-the uppermost face-of one of said refractorybric'ks-for, retain-' ingsaid spacer, plate" in operative position between said bricks, casing means disposed in surrounding relationship with said bricks and comprising apairzof metallic, channel-like portions, each of said channel-like portions including a relatively short flange formed- 'along one end thereof and terminating in one longitudinal edge portion "of the casing portion, each casingportion including a substantialiy long flange portion terminating in the opposite longitudinally extending edge portionof the casing porcoplanar with the relatively short leg of the opposite cas ing portion, the relatively short leg portion of each casing portion being fixedly secured to the offset portion of the relatively long leg portion of the opposite casing portion so as to define an assembly which is of substantiallyrectangular cross sectional configuration and wherein the outwardly facing sides thereof are substantially hat, the

longitudinally extending edge of each of said long flanges being disposed adjacent the inner surface of the opposite channel-like portion to completely protect said lastmentioned edges from direct exposure totthe heat of a furnace.

7. An assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said casing portions includes a preformed inwardly directed projection means formed on the relatively long leg portion thereof, each of said bricks including a preformed indentation means for receiving said projection means, said indentation means being formed in the rear face of each of said bricks.

8. An assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said intermediate spacer plate. includes a cutout portion for receiving a hanger, said cutout portion being formed in the upper central portiono'f said plate, and said plate including a pair of spaced laterally offset-tabs at the upper end thereof for retaining said plate in operative position between said bricks.

9. An assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said cas ing portions are fixedly secured to one another by spot welding. l

10. A refractory brick roof patch assembly comprising a pair of refractory bricks each including front faces adapted to be disposed in opposite facing relationship to one another, rear faces disposed in parallel relationship to said front faces, and each of said refractory bricks including a pair of opposite side faces joining said front and rear faces, each of said-bricks having recess portions a formed in the front faces thereof for receiving hanger 'tion, said flanges being disposed in substantially parallel relationship withone. another, the, long flange portion of each'of said casing portions including adjacent the asso ciated longitudinal edge thereof an offset portion which is received in the cutout portion of one of said bricks, the

short flange portion of each of said casing portions being received within the outwardly facing portion of the offset portion of the other casing portion such that the longitudinally extending edge of'each of said long flange portions is disposed closely adjacent the opposite casing portion so as to be completely protected bythe opposite casing portion, said long flanges each defining a shoulder portion at said offset portions, the longitudinally extending edge of each of said short'flanges being disposed closely adjacent toone of said shoulder portions; so as to at least partially protect the last-mentioned longitudinally extending edge from exposure to the heat of a furnace, said short bricks.

11. An assembly as defined in claim lo wherein said short flanges are secured to said offset portions by a series of spaced longitudinally extending spot welds.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,615,815 1/27 Birdsey 409 1,617,762 2/27 Kiefer '50357 2,104,506 1/38 Coddington 504l6 X 2,158,759 5/39 Morlock -99 2,187,669 1/40 Stewart 110-99 2,547,322 4/51 Heuer 11099 2,736,187 2/56 Coffman ettal.

2,960,048 11/60 Garrctts 110-:99 3,083,453 4/63 Reynolds et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 5 222,790 8/62. Austria.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. FREDERICK KETTERER, Examiner. 

1. A REFRACTORY BRICK ROOF PATH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF BODIES OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL OF SIMILAR CONFIGURATION, EACH OF SAID BODIES INCLUDING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CUTOUR PORTION FORMED IN ONE OF THE OUTWARDLY DIRECTED FACES THEREOF, SAID BODIES BEING DISPOSED IN CLOSELY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER, CASING MEANS DISPOSED IN SURROUNDING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID BODIES, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID CASING MEANS IN OPERATIVE POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODIES, SAID CASING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF INDENTICAL MATALLIC PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID PORTIONS INCLUDING OPPOSITE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGES, EACH OF SAID PORTIONS INCLUDING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OFFSET PORTION ADJACENT ONE OF SAID EDGES, SAID OFFSET PORTION OF EACH OF SAID CASING PORTIONS FITTING WITHIN THE CUTOFF PORTION OF ONE OF SAID BODIES, SAID OFFSET PORTION ALSO RECEIVING THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION OF THE OTHER OF SAID CASING PORTIONS SO AS TO OVERLIE SAID OFFSET PORTION WHEREBY THE ASSEMBLY DEFINES A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION WITH FLAT OUTER SUFRACES, SAID ONE EDGE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID METALLIC PORTIONS BEING COMPLETELY PROTECTED BY THE OTHER METALLIC PORTION FROM DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT OF A FURNACE, THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID METALLIC PORTIONS BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY PROTECTED BY THE OTHER METALLIC PORTION FROM DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT OF A FURNACE. 